Improvement in harvesters



BROWN', KNIFFEN @LDonla Harvester. No. 40,658.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l Patented Nov. 17,1863.v

' 2.5 Sheets-Sheet 2. f

BRWN, KNIFFEN l, DODGE. Harvestr Patentd Nov. 17, 1863.

lNITED STATES y PATENT OEETOE.

Y ALziEUs BROWN AND L. G. KNIEEEN, OE WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

AND THOMAS H. DODGE, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IAN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of ,Letters Patent No. 40.658, dated November4 17,1863.

To all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that we, ALZIRUS BROWN and L. G. KNIEFEN, of the city and county of Vorcester, in the State of Massachusetts, and THOMAS H. DODGE, of Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented Acertain new and useful [mprovements inMowing and Reaping Machines; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing isa full, clear, and exact description -of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a machine with our said improvements applied thereto. Fig.2 represents alongitudinal section, and Fig. 3 represents a cross-section, of 1 the machine.

Fig. 4 represents one of the tingers or guards. Fig. 5 represents the mode of fastening the axle B to the frame A, and Fig. 6 the mode of fastening the rear bearingv ot' the crank-shaft to the frame and axle.

In the drawings, A represents the main frame, which -is supported upon axle B of the l main wheels B B, having cogged wheels O O,

which gearinto the small pinions a on the ends of shaft D, and to which pawl devices are fastened to work into the ratchet-teeth on the inner side of the cases a', connected with the pinion-wheels a.

E is a bevel-gear loose on shaft D, but having a hubon its face side with clutch-teeth, into which the teeth of a sliding clutch-hub, l), fit when the cutters are in operation. (See Fig. 3.) The sliding clutch b its on shalt D, and is grooved out on its outer surface to receive a clutch-lever, by which the driver from his seat G can throw the cutters out or into action by his foot. A pin-passes through a slot in the hub b and is fast in the shaft l), so that while the hub b must always turn with 'the shaftD it can be. moved laterally for 'stopping or starting the cutters. Gear E is held in one position on shaft D by means of shoulders and collars on D. y

The pitman o is connected to and operated by the crank-pin c in the balance-wheel fon the end of crank-shaft H, which passes back and carries on its rear end a small bevel-gear, E', that works into the Alarge bevel-gear E. The rear end of shaft H is supported in the peculiarlyfconstrueted bearing or box I.

| To the inner front corner ofthe main frame A is fastened the hanger-iron J, having two legs, J J, to the bottoms of which the shoe K is hinged, as fully shown in the drawings. The finger-beam F, to which the fingers d are fastened andthrough which the cutters c work, is bolted to a recess in shoe K, and has fastened to its outer end a shoe, K', and trackclearer L. The front of shoe K is provided with an adjustable wheel, g, to run upon and press down the mowed grass. to prevent clogging of the cutters, while at the same time it relieves the friction of the shoe and heel o f the finger-beam upon the ground.

Mis a lever fastened to a quadrant or sheave,

.M, fulcrumed upon a piece, N, attached to the rear inner side of the tongue O.

The segment h of the'quadrant or sheave M is so formed in respect to the fulcrum ofthe latter that the movement of the lever M backward causes the chain t' to take up much faster during the irst part of its motion. than during the latter part, and for reasons hereinafter mentioned.

P is a bar hinged to the side of the main frame and held hack by a spring,j. Bar`P passes through loop k in lever M, and is provided on its front edge with a series of catches or hooks, b, and a hook, m, on its rear edge.

W'hen the driver desires to raise and retain the front ot' the frame but little higher than usual he draws Vthe lever M back and presses thebar P forward with his foot or otherwise, so as to catchone of the hooks l into the loop k,- bnt when he desires to elevate it to the highest point, to pass from one tield to another or over cut grass, then lever M is drawn back'so as to bring loop la below hook m, where it will be securely retained until lever Mis depressed by the operator and bar P pushed forward so as'to clear loop m. In relieving the loop k from either of the hooks lall that is necesvsary todo is to draw lever M hack, when springj causes bar P to fly back so as to clear' [loop k.

vn is a small journal supported in the piece N, and has a footpiece,go, and a pawhp, fastened rigidly thereto-one on each end--so that the driver can passthe pawl p up into the ratchet-teeth q,and thus retain the front of the frame at different heights above the ground.

In this case as soon as lever M is drawn back the weight of the foot-piece o will cause pawl p to leave the ratchet-teeth q.

As thus described, with a simple hinge at the heel of the finger-beam only the heel end of the nger-bar and cutting apparatus will be elevated when the front of the frame is raised. In order, therefore, to enable the driver to elevate the entire finger-beam and cutting apparatus to pass over stones, cut grass, or from one field to another, a cramping-bar, Q. is hinged at one end in with the rear ear ot' shoe K, while its other end is hinged to link R, whose upper end is hinged between lugs fu, u, cast on the 'under side of the pole or draft iron S. It will now be seen that when the machine is in operation the entire bar or either end can rise and fall to conform to the inequalities of the ground, but that as soon as lever M is drawn back, so'as to raise the front of the machine somewhat, the h eel b of the cramping-bar vQ is forced against the inner edge or top of shoe K, thereby causing the entire bar to be raised bodily with the front of the frame. (See red lines, Fig. 3;) The flugs u u may be cast upon the other edge of pole-iron, if preferred. The pole-iron is loose on the axle B', so that the tongue and seat connected therewith are not affected by the rising and falling motions of the frame Aand y cutting apparatus when mowing. The poleiron is slipped upon the axle before it is fastened to the frame A. In case it is desired, the outer end of the inger-beam can be folded up into a perpendicular position and there held by catch X and its spring y. After the finger-beam is folded up lever M can be drawn back until loop k is caught by hook m, when the front of frame'A, together with the folded 1in gerbeam, will `be Well elevated and retained` -above the ground. I

The evener T is fastened to the draft piece or iron T by bolt l, the upper arm of iron T sliding in loop-bolts 2 2, fastened to tongue O, while the front end of d raft-chain 3 is hooked into or slipped onto the rear of iro'n T', its rear end being connected with hook 4, fastened to the front of the frame A, whereby the draft of the team has a tendency to lift up Aand ease the friction of theinger-bar and its slices upon the ground. By the peculiar construction of the draft-iron T and its combination with the tongueand evener it is impossible for it to become detached in use, it being necessary to first remove one or both ofthe loopbolts 2 2.

The main wheels B B are lloose on axleB, which is fastened to the main frame. G' is the foot-box for the driver, and is securely bolted to the pole-iron S and tongue O.

Shafts may be fitted to the machine, so that vit can be drawn by one horse.

By elevating the cutter-bar and putting on a grain-wheel and platform the machine could be used to cut grain, although particularly designed to cut grass. i i

VBy the use of the catbhes lb the cutter-bar can be retained above the ground for a short distance with a degree cf safety by either of the catches b, and when tlie'driver desires to lower the bar by drawing back lever M springj causes bar P to dy up,thus releasing its catch b from loop 7c. When, however, the bar is to be raised for some tim e-as, for in stance, to pass from one field to anotherit is not safe to trust to one of the catches b, since in passing over uneven ground the front of the machinev and cutter-bar would be very liable to dy up, when springj would 'throw up bar P, thus allowing the cutter-bar to fall upon the ground. To meet such contingencies catch 'm is employed, and whichcan be relied upon to retain the bar in its elevated position, While the machine is being drawn over rough and uneven ground, since spring] keeps bar P pressed up against loop k at all times. Our arrangement is therefore both convenient and very useful. By the use of the peculiarly constructed and arranged sheave or quadrant M the driver raises the heel end of the linger-bar very quickly, while owing to the peculiar construction and arrangement of sheave M the leverage is so increased as it is Vdrawn back that the driver is enabled to raise the entire bar bodily (after the heel end has been raised, so as to cramp the point and render it rigid) from the ground with great ease. This is an important feature, since it enables a man ofvery. moderate strength, and even a boy, to controlf and manage 'the machine. A

i Having described ourimproved mowing and reaping machine, whatwe claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the pole-iron, shoe K, and main frame, of the cram pin g-bar Q and link R, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of shoe K and hangeriron J with the lower end ofthe crampingbar Q, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination ot' bar P, havinga series of catches, b, on one edge or face, and a retaininghook or catch, fm, on the other, with spring]l and loop 7c, when said parts are constructed and arranged to operate in .relation to each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with themain frame A and tongue O, of the draft-iron T and chain 3, constructed and arranged in relation to each other, substantially as shown and described.

ALZIRUS BROWN.'V L. G. KNIFFEN. THos. H. DoDGE.

Witnesses: Y

JAMES H. BANceoFT, GEO. H. MILLER. 

